Top 5 Essential Oils For Men {Essential Oil Gift Guide For Men!}

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Do you have a man in your life who already enjoys the bounties of essential oils? Or do you have a man in your life who doesn’t yet use essential oils… but he should?

Either way, I’m so excited to share with you in this article one of the more intuitive ways to support the body and wellness.

The five essential oils for men in this post are certainly not meant to be exhaustive. Yet they have the potential to improve men’s health, according to men's most frequent medical needs: stress reduction, cardiovascular health, skin care for rough skin, sensuality, and relief from aches and pains.

#1 — Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea)

Clary sage essential oil is considered a great choice for men, especially in our high stress society! Clary sage is relaxing, herbaceous and calming.

What makes clary sage one of the most effective essential oils for men?

Aromatherapist and herbalist Devon Young says, “Clary sage contains linalool, one of the aromatic constituents also present in lavender, providing a refreshing herbal aroma that helps men to achieve calm, clear focus without the ‘feminine’ floral notes of Lavandula species essential oils.”

#2 — Frankincense (Boswellia serrata)

Growing up surrounded by acres of orange groves, I find the smell of orange blossoms transporting! I was a grown woman before I smelled frankincense for the first time. The aroma was similar to the orange blossom fragrance of my childhood, but much more exotic and even Middle Eastern. Frankincense became an instant favorite.

Aromatherapists recommend the grounding yet adventurous smell of frankincense during prayer and meditation. Your man might enjoy frankincense in a home diffuser… or a masculine moisturizer since it benefits various complexions and skin types.

This citrus-y oil can also be diluted in a carrier oil and rubbed on sore joints. Frankincense essential oil also exhibits a strong and beneficial effect on the immune system (source).

#3 — Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)

You may associate this smell with hippies! Hippie folk often emanate the smell of patchouli, which (more than any other essential oil) reflects this vibrant subculture. Two of our cafés were located in parts of Eugene, Oregon with large hippie populations, so our kids grew up surrounded by this fragrance.

My teenage daughter came to dislike the woody-balsamic smell from the time she was young. You can imagine our daughter’s dismay when my husband gifted me patchouli essential oil one Christmas. My husband loves the smell, so of course he gave it to me to wear! Ha, so charming. But my daughter doesn’t think so! LOL

Patchouli essential oil is extremely popular because it moves men emotionally! Aromatherapists note its amorous effects. Patchouli has a sensual aroma: one of earth, sweat, community, and sexuality (it’s considered an aphrodisiac by aromatherapists). If your man has a bit of hippie in him, this might be just the essential oil for him.

What else do aromatherapists say about patchouli? Patchouli is musky-sweet, strong, spicy, and herbaceous… as well as grounding, balancing, sharpening, and combats lethargy. Use it in a home diffuser to combat depression and anxiety (source).

Looking for topical skin relief? Use patchouli in DIY skincare products for the regeneration of skin cells (like these DIY Hard Lotion Bars). Patchouli also helps heal wounds and soothe rough, cracked, and dehydrated skin. Perhaps include this essential oil in a skin salve for a worker man’s hands. What a great gift! Learn how to make a salve here.

#4 — Sandalwood (Santalum album)

Perhaps because I’m a woman, I hear practitioners and other women often talk about stress and how we need to reduce it. Modern women easily fall into cycles of stress trying to balance busy lives, sometimes including motherhood and career.

Men experience no less stress, yet they experience it differently (source). While modern women increasingly take the time to be self-reflective, many modern men still need to catch up when it comes to taking stress seriously. Otherwise, long term stress wreaks havoc on our health.

That’s why I love sandalwood essential oil for men. Giving a man sandalwood raises his awareness of the stress that likely exists in his life and then helps to relieve it. A lovely gift idea for your man may be as simple as handmade hand soap with sandalwood, so that every time he washes his hands he remembers, can take a deep breath and breathe in that healing aroma. (Find DIY soap here.)

Sandalwood essential oil is also used to treat depression, and is versatile for many different types of skin, including aging skin.

#5 — Ginger Root (Zingiber officinale)

Ginger essential oil is prized for powerfully addressing common male health concerns. Thanks to gingerol, the healing oil in ginger root, ginger is known for lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol (source), reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (source) and stimulating the circulatory system.

Active components in ginger exert anti-cancer activities in the digestive tract. Ginger’s volatile oils have been studied extensively and found to be anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-fungal as well as high in antioxidants (source and source). Ginger is also considered a natural aphrodisiac, helping with issues of impotence and loss of libido (source).

How then to use ginger essential oil? Ginger's warming effect improves circulation. Therefore, used with a carrier oil, it makes a wonderful massage oil that also benefits sore muscles and arthritis (source and source).

Similarly, diluted ginger essential oil can be rubbed over the abdomen to ease digestion and soothe the digestive tract. Ginger is wonderful in a diffuser and combines well with citrus and frankincense.

Whether you're choosing essential oils for your diffuser or plan to make a DIY gift, essential oils are a great way to support a man's health and a lovely gift to show you care.

Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Devon Young for joining us at Traditional Cooking School to give her input on clary sage essential oil and male health. Devon Young is an herbalist and aromatherapist with a degree in Complementary and Alternative Medicine from the American College of Healthcare Sciences. She blogs about holistic and sustainable living at NittyGrittyLife.com, and her first book, The Backyard Herbal Apothecary, will publish Spring 2019.

What are your favorite essential oils for men?

We only recommend products and services we wholeheartedly endorse. This post may contain special links through which we earn a small commission if you make a purchase (though your price is the same).

About Megan Stevens

Megan lives in a tiny house in Oregon with her husband and three children. She owned a gut-healing, Traditional cafe for 7 years, which she and her husband just sold to begin their next adventure of adopting a fourth child. She loves helping others on their healing journeys, as well as innovating grain-free, sugar-free recipes. Megan also works as a Health Consultant, helping clients to implement and succeed on healing diets. Megan's first cookbook, EAT BEAUTIFUL: Grain-free, Sugar-Free & Loving It is a #1 New Release on Amazon. Join Megan at her blog Eat Beautiful and on her Facebook page, where she cultivates a community of healing by providing recipes, nutritional insights, and the latest in remedial articles.

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Traditional Cooking School

Traditional Cooking School is an online cooking school Wardee created to honor her grandmother’s cooking traditions and preserve them so that future generations can enjoy the health benefits, flavors and fun of traditionally prepared foods. Join 9,903 families served since 2010!Learn more here…